Crit and Track starting again

After another long, cold and often wet winter, spring has finally arrived and with it comes the start of the Crit and Track Racing season.

Crit

The first Crit race for the season will be onTuesday 4th Octoberat Stromlo. Race times will be 20 minutes + 2 laps due to the limited daylight.

Track

The track racing season will kick off with a Practice Session starting at6.00pm on Wednesday 5 October. There will be no racing. All interested riders are invited - particularly new riders and track novices. It is a great opportunity to give track a try!

Please note that Narrabundah Track is a high-banked, oval track suitable only for conventional fixed gear track bikes with a high bottom bracket. We are unable to accommodate road bikes on this track.

Note:
+ Narrabundah track is located off Goyder Street in Narrabundah;
+ We welcome riders to try a high-banked track for the first time;
+ New riders can get practical advice on gearing, bunch riding & track etiquette;
+ Interested riders can try out a track bike (bring your own pedals and shoes);
+ Experienced riders can tune up the machinery & motor;
+ All riders can express their preference for events & races;
+ The practice session will be around 1hr 30 mins starting 6.00pm;
+ There is no formal structure to the practice. We can assist with introductory training, if requested;
+ You can do your own thing, if you prefer.

A few basics on track etiquette for the practice session:
+ Use the designated track positions for cruising, tempo or fast pacing;
(The faster you ride the higher you should be positioned on track. Overtake outside other riders)
+ Hold your line - don't make changes of speed or position unless you are clear of other riders;
+ Be very careful if you are crossing or moving on / off the track;
+ Start from the fence and be aware of riders approaching;
+ It is best to wear clear goggles (the shaded portions of track have very low visibility with sunnies);
+ All riders will need to be cautious, as there will be novice riders at the practice session.

Regular track racing will start onWednesday 12 October.

Last year was a great season and we had a dedicated bunch, with over 40 riders participating over the season. However, why should they have all the fun. If you have thought about it, come a give it a try, as we would like to have at least another ten regulars.

5 marshals required for this event. Please contact Bill if you can assist.

RACE REPORT:

Iron Mike – 24th September

A beautiful day greeted us for the Iron Mike and thankfully that resulted in numbers being up compared to recent events. 47 starters in total with Tony Weir heading off first in G grade, with a 45 min start over the 4 A1 riders. We had strong groups from B to E grade and with little wind but some big climbs it was going to be interesting to see how the race panned out. Unfortunately for Steve Crispin from A1 he only got about 2km up the road before his front tyre blew. Mark Stevenson kindly retrieved him and he repaired the flat and continued on his way for some good training miles. The tough course, with two trips out to the end of the tarmac, started to find some of the riders out pretty quickly with a steady string of DNFs, 12 in total by the end. There weren't any grades captured by the end of the first lap, with most grades staying largely together and working well, but the gaps were definitely coming down. Tony was holding onto a slender lead from Mick and Elizabeth in F grade, and the A1 guys had caught the A2s and were starting to put pain on their faces. As the bunches come back past after the second trip to the end of the tarmac things were starting to get mixed up but it looked like D & C grade riders were making the best of their handicap.

In the end it ended up being a tightly fought sprint between Bryan Holloway from D grade and Seymour Savell-Boss and Damien Copeland from C grade, with Bryan just getting it over Seymour. I'm not sure Bryan knew that staying with the D graders and then out sprinting them means an instant promotion!!! Well done though Bryan, wining this prestigious event. The handicapping was pretty good with 15 riders representing just about all grades and relately closely spaced. Fastest time went to Aaron Thomson from A1 with a time of 1.40.56 and seventh place overall. No incidents for the day and just a couple of local ferals to laugh at their stupidity.

Thanks to Richard and Doug for fairly lonely days out at the turn points, Mark and Dennis for helping out at the start area, and of course Graham who graciously dropped out at the end of the first lap so he could help with timing.